The present invention relates to devices used in wrapping packages and more particularly to ribbon shredding devices and ribbon curling devices.
Everyone has used ribbon formed of polypropylene or other materials to wrap a gift at one time or another. Department stores and smaller gift shops use ribbon in their gift wrapping services.
One manner of curling a ribbon involves holding it against one of the cutting edges of a scissor and pulling it over this edge to abrade the flat surface of the ribbon.
One device used to shred ribbon relies upon two flat plastic members disposed one above the other to form a sandwich. The bottom member has four vertical posts extending therefrom in a perpendicular direction from its flat surface. A biasing spring is placed over each post, which extends through one of four holes formed through the top member. Accordingly, the springs bias the upper member away from contact with the lower member. The end of each post is formed into a cap that is larger than the holes in the top member and forms a stop to prevent the springs from pushing the top member off the posts. On the underside surface of the top member, a plurality of pins project therefrom in a direction normal to this surface. The free ends of the pins are sharpened into points. The pins are arranged next to one another in a straight line extending for a majority of the length of the upper member. Immediately beneath the pins, a slot is formed beneath the surface of the bottom member. The top member is pressed toward the bottom member against the biasing of the springs until the points of the pins rest against the bottom of the slot formed in the bottom member. In operation, a ribbon is placed beneath the pins and above the slot. The top member is pressed down toward the bottom member so that the pins penetrate through the ribbon. As the end of the ribbon is pulled through the space between the upper and lower members, the pins shred the ribbon being pulled through the device.
Once the ribbon is shredded using the above device, it is difficult to curl it without the shredded portions becoming entangled or breaking. Similarly, once a ribbon is curled, such as in the manner using a scissor as described above, it is difficult for the shredder described above to shred the curled ribbon. Moreover, the curling and shredding of the ribbon requires two operations and two separate mechanisms.